The House in the Cerulean Sea

When straight-as-an-arrow Linus Baker, a caseworker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, is sent on a special mission to investigate a government-run orphanage he’s never heard of, he’s surprised but not particularly bothered; it’s an unusual assignment, but he’ll carry it out with his usual attention to detail and adherence to rules. But when he arrives at the Marsyas Island Orphanage, he’s definitely surprised by the half-dozen children—a sprite, a gnome, a wyvern, a sullen teenager who can transform into a Pomeranian, a tentacled blob who wants desperately to be a bellhop, and the Antichrist—and very much taken aback by Arthur Parnassus, their eccentric, passionate caretaker. As he gets to know the island’s inhabitants and develop feelings for Arthur, Linus realizes he may have to break some rules to protect this group of people he’s come to love. Daniel Henning provides nimble, versatile narration, clearly having fun voicing a variety of magical creatures as well as cautious Linus, protective Arthur, and a wide range of secondary characters.